Just when you thought you’ve seen the last of speakeasies, a new one comes along that makes you rethink if the genre is dead. When you arrive at La Milagrosa, you’ll wonder if you’ve gotten the wrong address. The night I went, I walked into what appears to be a bodega (which actually sells hard-to-find traditional Mexican ingredients) and spoke with a chicly dressed hostess, reading a Sherlock Holmes novel, who will either let you right in or assign you a wait time. You do need to call ahead and book a reservation, space permitted. You’ll continue on through a freezer door and arrive in Narnia, if Narnia were a beautifully decorated bunker filled with bottles upon bottles of tequila and mezcal.
Felipe Mendez, the chef behind Williamsburg favorites La Superior and Cerveceria Havemeyer, has focused his energies and passion for Mexican culture on this endlessly cool agave bar and “listening room,” where premium ingredients and premium music are the priority. Named to honor “the miraculous” Lady of Guadalupe, Santería style candles emit a ghostly glow, ramped up by the smoky aroma of mezcal and the bright overtones of fresh juices used in the delicious cocktails.
Here’s what we drank:
Margarita Jamaica
This margarita, made with house-brewed hibiscus tea, Cointreau, orange bitters and fresh lime juice, added a floral, whimsical take on a classic cocktail.
Spicy Margarita
A well-balanced tequila-based drink rimmed with a subtle chili salt makes for the perfect antidote to the bitter chill in the air that won’t seem to let us leave winter behind.
New Fashioned
Substituting mezcal for bourbon in this old school drink allows the orange bitters and sugar to draw out the aromatic smokiness of the cocktail.
Twisted Talk: What’s your favorite speakeasy in the city? Are you a mezcal and tequila fan? Discuss below!
